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Cry HAVOC and let slip the dogs of war


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55 minutes ago, modelling minion said:

Fantastic choice, the Boston is a great aircraft and this kit builds up quite nicely. The kit wheels aren't particularly good but the rest of it is pretty good.

 

55 minutes ago, modelling minion said:

Fantastic choice, the Boston is a great aircraft and this kit builds up quite nicely. The kit wheels aren't particularly good but the rest of it is pretty good.

 

45 minutes ago, Threadbear said:

Great kit that isn’t cheap to get hold these days, which is more the shame! 

Good to hear that the build of this kit doesn't sound like there are any major challenges and it was only £23 + pp

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  • 2 weeks later...

Most sub assemblies have been built / painted during the last week:

20240113_105727

 

I now need to choose a particular airframe and find a good reference photo as some of the details vary e.g. stepped or slanted glazing to the nose (research to date suggests all of the Boston III in the British order had slanted but for some reason I assembled the stepped version), "porcupine" or straight exhaust (both of which are not in the kit), bombs or ventral gun pack (the latter not in the kit).

 

Mike

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All Boston Mk.IIIs and IIIAs had the slanting nose.  There was a batch of 100 aircraft in the AH serial range built for the French with the stepped nose but Mk.III tail and engines.   Presumably/maybe these can have had a provisional existence as Boston Mk.IIs.  Once in the UK these were designated Havoc Mk.IIs, with conversions to the 12-gun nose or the Turbinlite.  Colour photos exist of these before delivery - see the very recent Wingleader on the Boston/Havoc.

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Good to see your Boston underway.

Graham is right that all the Boston III's had the slanted nose rather than the stepped one. There are some pretty good pictures of RAF Bostons out there in a variety of schemes, except for 605 Sqn that I would like to build!

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Most sub-assemblies are now installed in the starboard fuselage (apologies for the cluttered backgrounds but Flickr editor is on strike this morning):

 

20240117_113708

 

20240117_113607

 

Instrument panel is an etch from Yahu, life raft from modelling clay.  The box underneath the cockpit floor is full of micro lead shot, if this isn't enough to keep the nose wheel on the ground there is room in the nacelles behind the cylinders for more weight!

 

I've decided to add the nose sections to each fuselage half, any gap at the top / bottom when closed up is going to be easier to fix than a slight step where the nose meets fuselage.  I've just painted the bombs, next step to find or fashion some seat belts.

 

Mike

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Very nice, Mike. I really like your raft, using the clay has really helped with the realism

 

James

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Starting to look like a Boston:

 

20240119_211535

 

The bomb bay had no positive aids to locating and was slightly too long to fit but easy enough to trim one end and fit parallel to the door opening.

 

After closing the fuselage I cemented the spar (ensuring it was equidistant each side), then glued on the top wing halves and finally the bottom sections.  At the moment seams have just been lightly dressed but I don't think that they will need too much work (any darker marks are bleed of paint rather than gaps).

 

Having also sat the model on a plastic tube, it appears to be well nose heavy (phew!).

 

Mike

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11 hours ago, 81-er said:

Very definitely Boston shaped now, Mike, and I'm glad it's not a tail sitter

 

James

Hi James,

 

This is what I use to add weight to noses, bought at least 15 years ago and still 2/3 full

20240120_100309

 

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  • 1 month later...

I think that seams and joints are about as good as they can be:

20240223_164915

 Underside has been primed with black and a representation of the shrouded exhausts built from resin Beaufighter parts and plastic tubing.

 

I'm currently fitting seat belts and then need to attach / mask all of the clear parts before priming the upper surfaces in black.

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4 hours ago, modelling minion said:

Thats very nice work, the exhausts look really good.

Thanks, they aren't exactly correct BUT are a reasonable representation and will look better once painted.

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6 hours ago, FortyEighter said:

a representation of the shrouded exhausts built from resin Beaufighter parts and plastic tubing.

Thought they looked familiar! Looks very cleanly built so far.

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  • 2 weeks later...

Any colour you like, as long as it's black:

20240306_120206

Painted with a mix of MRP colours (super black primer, matt black, super matt black and night).  There is some slight variation in tone that isn't really visible in the photo but some more needs to be done while I wait for some decals to arrive.

 

Mike

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